BlizzCon 2011 Tickets Will Briefly Be On Sale Next Month

Blizzard has cordoned off two fleeting moments in time next month in which fans can attempt to spend $US175 per ticket to attend the annual celebration of all things Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo-related in Anaheim, California.

BlizzCon 2011 takes place in October this year, same as last year, bucking Blizzard's trend of alternating between August and October dates, but fans will know next month whether or not they'll be able to acquire a pass to the magical kingdom where Draenei cosplayers roam wild. Tickets for the event will go on sale at BlizzCon.com on Saturday, May 21 at 10am Pacific and again on Wednesday, May 25 at 7pm Pacific. If past sales are any indication, your window of opportunity will be mere minutes.

The stakes are high, and the price is even higher this year, jumping $US25 from 2010 to a daunting $US175 per ticket. Is the chance of obtaining rare swag and meeting core members of the Blizzard development team in person worth that much to you? Of course it is.

But just in case it isn't, Blizzard is once again teaming up with DIRECTV to offer a weekend filled with streaming video from the event. For $US39.99 USD you get a better view of the show floor than most attendees, exclusive interviews, and this year's exclusive in-game World of Warcraft and StarCraft II items, whatever they may be.

Or maybe $US175 isn't enough? Maybe you want to spend $US500, guarantee entry, and aid the Children's Hospital of Orange County in the process? Blizzard will be holding a special benefit dinner the evening of Thursday, October 20, giving fans that drop $US500 on a ticket a chance to hob nobs with Blizzard staff celebrities, with all proceeds going to the children's hospital. Approximately 200 tickets for that special event will go on sale on Saturday, May 21.

So there you have it. Many will enter, few will win. As always, Kotaku will be there with bells on, covering the event from head to toe in our own particular brand of lewd cosplay picture taking goodness. If all else fails, just come back here October 21 and 22. We don't charge.